


Contentment

by BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount, writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom



Series: Conversations [23]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: #ErrorIsSadAlways, Happy, Sad, Soulmates, cute boys being cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:01:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26499049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount/pseuds/BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount, https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom/pseuds/writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom
Summary: OK while looking for certain threads i found a few snip-its. This one a bit down in  In Which We Give This Empty Can Some Motherly Instincts And Not Yeet Him, Chapter 25. Make sure you go and read that!. Writer is awesome and a lot of convos from their arent posted be cause they are directly related to that fic. Seriously they like to talk.... Tell them your thoughts? -Bookwyrm.Soulmates... how can you have a soul mate without a soul?
Relationships: Error/Ink, Geno/Reaper
Series: Conversations [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859866
Comments: 100
Kudos: 57





	Contentment

writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
.......

soulmate au.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
mmmm very interested!!!!! ooh the apple boys wouldn't have been able to have soulmates until AFTER the apples so they had actually souls.

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
*deep breath*

Neither of them knew anything diddly darn about soulmates at the beginning. Nightmare learned about it after meeting Killer, who turned out to be his soulmate, and Dream learned about them beyond just being fancy romance stuff after the X events.

XGaster wasn't interested in the prospect of soulmates, so Cross's soulmark didn't manifest until after the X-event.

Cross and Dream are dancing around each other because neither of them know what to do with that.

Error and Ink don't have soulmates. Error used to have one, and that one was Reaper, but now Reaper just belongs to Geno.

Ink doesn't have any soulmates for obvious reasons.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
oooooooooh what if error's mark is scratched out, glitched, or marked through? And ink has a missing chunk where his mark would have been, gouged out like his soul? Maybe the marks are always on their sternums or wrists maybe for skeletons? People whisper that the destroyer killed his own soulmate for it to be marred like that. when in reality.... error thought that it is unfair to make Reaper try to be with him while in his isolated white prison, thinking he'd never escape. The final act before erroring completely.... was error forcefully damaging the mark and rejecting it to hopefully let reaper find a happy ending with out him, with someone else. Ink is a bit obsessed with just how... unique the destroyer is. Who else has a mark marred like that? those glitches pop up in a mesmerizing pattern. Ink's flighty attention is always drawn to Error's voice, the tones and sounds never spoken quite the same. Maybe this error destroys not only because of the creators.... but to stop anyone else from having to destroy their own mark in the same way he had to. This error.... has a hard time looking at death, at reaper, his tear tracks from more than just isolation and insanity but a love .... willingly torn out for it to grow else where.

Maybe ink .... can find a friend or even just a star gazing buddy.... that can relate to knowing they won't find that missing piece anymore, lost to both of them. The knowledge that they are both ...destined for loneliness and solitude.

.....just maybe they can be lonely..... together?

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Ink one day gets bold enough to ask Error.

“Hey, wanna be friends?”

“What- Why the fuck???”

“Um, we’re... kind of like co-workers?”

“You mean we’re both slaves.”

“Yikes, uh, that’s... a harsh way to put it.”

“Am i wrong?”

“Um, no-“

“I’m not gone far enough gone in stockholm syndrome enough to be ‘friends’”, he air quotes this part “With a soulless abomination. So thanks but no thanks-“

“We both don’t have a soulmate.” Ink blurts out finally, then watches interestedly as the Destroyer flinches. “We’re both forever missing a part. I was thinking, it would be less, i dunno, boring to just get along.”

The silence continues to further stretch between them.

“It’s not like we have to stop fighting. It would be boring without our fights.”

“So you want to be friends because of boredom.”

“Yep!”

“And you don’t see anything wrong with that.”

“The creators aren’t gonna let us die anytime soon so why care about the morality of things?”

“...a point.”

So they start getting a long a bit more. And by that i mean Error doesn’t kill Ink on site as much as he used to do.

————————

Reaper is the first one to figure out that Error used to be Geno, and that’s through the shenanigans the Creators decided to cause.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Ink has to work for Error's attention and companionship, as he doesn't scare error at all. Dream... wants to discourage Ink from trailing after the destroyer... but this would be his only chance at a partner in any way that wasn't from straight pity.  
In OuterTale.....  
Error: *is knitting with his glasses on, enjoying the peace* .........ink why are you here?  
Ink: *has been a good boy trying to quietly paint near error* ....... i... wanted to see why you like it here....  
Error: you found your answer, yet? *keeps knitting a blanket for himself*  
Ink: ... no but i... think i like the way... that it is peaceful yet mesmerizing. So far from the beauty of the stars. Only allowed to see the true wonder at a distance. Seeing how beautiful each constellation is knowing that if you get closer.... you won't get to touch them. The only way to see the best view is to never get closer no matter how much you want to ...... this untouchable sky, ever present, ever shifting so slightly..... it reminds me of us. How we are, what we are.... it reminds me of you error, mostly. *drifts to silence, staring at the stars*  
Error: .............. heh.........

\---- after i saw the reaper bit----  
Reaper keeps trying to talk to error after over hearing error talking to a reaper doll, apologizing for having to leave him and apologizing for not even having the courage to check if he is happy himself.... before fondly brushing the dolls cheek and dropping it off the outer tale cliff. Error does this once every few centuries when his soul feels the emptiest.

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Ink doesn’t know how to lie. He doesn’t know how to let others know he’s telling the truth either. Ink sometimes feels an ache, somewhere around where his soulmark would have been whenever Error smiles at him, and he doesn’t understand why at all.

Sometimes he muses out loud, then forgets what he’s saying.

Error is grateful for Ink’s forgetfulness, terribly so. He doesn’t know what he would do.

Reaper mainly doesn’t want to leave the relationship Error and he apparently once had on a bad note.

Basically, his main concerns are more, hey, i don't want misunderstandings between us, this doesn't have to hurt, if you're going to move on, i want you to move on properly.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Error is literally like nope fuck this i have been pushing this down for millennia and i really don't want to see the soulmate i gave up try to be anything to me again. Reaper doesn't quite know the whole we were soulmates but shit hit the fan and i rejected you for your own happiness this was not just an average break up so please leave because this isn't something you really ever get over and it hurts to see what i can never have again in the way my soul screams for.

Ink sometimes... feels? A few degrees warmer? when around Error. Stockholm definitely hit him hard. he finds himself really liking the quiet time with error.......

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Ink never uses words 'love' 'like' or 'care', specifically because he doesn't want to lie about that. There were times he had pretended, but now... with Error, he doesn't want to lie. He just, get really nervous somehow when he doesn't see him in the usual spots, just instinctively always looking for him.

The first time Error touches him, it's his phalanges resting against the side of his face, and he had the most raw expression Error had ever seen on him.

Neither Error, nor Ink are ok, and somehow, the way the much smaller skeleton just closes his eyes shut, just tugs at something inside Error's soul.

Error, after a while, realizes just how much dependant Ink becomes on him being there. On him existing.

Error gets a lot of special treatment from Ink. Ink trusts him enough to stay blank around him, and trusts that Error won't leave him alone when he's off color.

Sometimes, sometimes Error finds himself taking advantage of that trust to indulge in small things. Like when Ink is the least likely to move around, Error just practices touching with him. Soon enough, Ink off color becomes like a teddy bear.

Sometimes Ink gets scared of how attached he becomes to the Destroyer. This hasn't happened before. Error catches a glimpse of that fear once when he holds his hand/

(night)

(Oh yeah internet is gonna be trippy for a few days)

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
the most intense thing ink will call error is interesting. it's the most truthful he can get.  
dream gets stunned the first time he sees error hold paintless ink like a teddy. most people prefer to avoid him like that.  
Its scary having any relationship at all.... knowing that no one can understand the complicated mess that error and ink are in...  
When error trusts ink enough to start telling him his worries, his hurts, his annoyances..... ink realizes they both had carved out their chance at a soul mate. really they are opposite yet same, error knowing who his mate was is almost worse than ink never knowing...... Ink starts a cuddle on his own with his paints for the first time when error tells him about scratching out his own soul mark, digging in really trying to remove it. That he had never wanted someone to wait forever on him. to never get to live a happy life. Reaper is happy now with Geno. t-thats all that matters....

Reaper of course was overhearing this by the creators design.........

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Sometimes, some Creators whisper to Reaper to leave Error alone.

‘Old love hurts, and breaks...no need to draw it out Reaper.’

Geno’s also become aware that Error used to be him, and he doesn’t know how to feel about it.

They totally have a future where they’re friends though.

That moment when your ex partner and current partner team up and share all the embarrassing details to each other.

———————

Geno: Hey.

Error: ...?

Geno: *passes a drink* Wanna make fun of Reaper?

Error: ....what?

Geno: I get that I’m lucky and all compared to you, but I’m not going to have bad blood between us because of that. You love him, I love him, I’d say that’s a point we could get along over. *raises his own can of beer, shaking it meaningfully* You in?

Error: ...Fine.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Error still avoids reaper and Geno gets a better alert system than reaper's texts. if error is mysteriously gone... most likely reaper is about to come around. Geno didn't realize how much he loved reaper to be able to do what error did. ... it put a lot of things into perspective... that and... ink seems to be good for his broken error. they... work, bolstering the others weakness, distracting them both from the eternity stretching ahead of them.

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Sometimes Ink asks Error if he regrets, if he had a choice, would he make it so that none of this had ever happened to him.

Because Ink knows a way.

It requires fighting Chronicle.

Changing the past that Chronicle guards over.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Error: .... Ink ...*huffs* i couldn't do that to Geno and Reaper.... or to you. I don't want to destroy reaper's happy ending. I don't even think i'd be happy doing that. i mean i'd lose this life i've scraped together .... and i don't think i could come back from having to rebuild my life once again... Would i want to be so tightly grasped by the creators without even knowing it and force someone else to be a slave to this extent? It sounds wonderful, like something dream would make up.... but how do i know it wouldn't fall into despair and agony? i am .... somewhat content.... with how we are now. Ink i have done much to ensure that happy ending.... if i go back who would have stopped ReaperTale Asgore from ripping them apart? .... they don't know what i've done to keep them together from outside threats........ Ink it just wouldn't be a happy ending, thats not on the table for me. I can have this small life now. And it will be enough.  
Ink: *has been a teddy this whole time* * slight grey scale blush with a bit of washed out color as he is running out of paint, voice almost bare of emotion* Error. that is very sacrificing of you.  
Error: heh... i guess so. i would say i just love too much. *continues to gaze at the stars*

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Ink sometimes thinks about a world where Error is happy, where he is content, and he never pictures himself to be there. He just can’t. He’s only a tool, and in a world where Error is happy, Error wouldn’t need him to be there. He knows that, so he never dares to even imagine himself being there.

He sometimes makes sketches, of different scenarios where Error is happy, not as Geno, but as Error. Sometimes he’s happy alone, looking at peace, and sometimes he’s happy with friends. Ink doesn’t picture him a lover. Ink is never in these sketches himself.

One time Ink loses his sketchbook, and Error ends up discovering these sketches. He notes how Ink is never in them.

Ink’s looking around, trying to find his sketchbook, clearly nervous and going ‘Where is it?’ Under his breath, and then hears Error’s voice call out to him. ‘Hey squid.’

Ink turns around, and freezes once he sees Error holding his sketchbook.

It’s a long silence as the smaller skeleton comes over and takes the sketchbook, eyes focused on the others hands instead of his face, and asks ‘Did you... did you look inside?’

Another moment of silence as Ink grips the sketchbook in his hand, expression blank in his nervousness.

Error watches him for a moment before answering.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Error: ........ it's missing something.  
Ink:.....  
Error: ..........  
Ink: .......... what?  
Error: ............................... you forgot to put yourself in there....... *looks to the side* .......... you know i ............ am content with ... our outertale stars......... that remind me of you............

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Ink: *is blushing a full on rainbow, feeling very very weird at that moment, and has to lurch towards the side and puke ink because he’s feeling very emotional and doesn’t know what to do with his feelings*

Error: *already used to it by now, just watches and gives Ink time to collect himself*

Ink: I...uh...I’m....content too. *still can’t look at Error and is feeling very unsure of his everything but also extremely free somehow*

And that’s the next big word Ink manages to use. It has much higher status than ‘Interesting’. Ink never really thought he would use that word, and actually mean it before. Feeling content, at peace, he never knew such things until Error.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Error just hooks a finger with inks while they sit side by side on their cliff. basking in the company. Later as they travel around the multiverse they will pull to other to interesting places they find. A crystal cavern that reflects the light from their eyelights in beautiful display. a dark forest with fireflies filling the air. A seashore in shades of deep purple with a teal ocean and a ruby shy. Soft company.

And the battles they do resemble dancing.... with more of a first serious injury wins system. Each trying to be the more graceful in battle.

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
... they both make couple t-shirts that say:

“Stockholm Syndrome Is A Bitch ->”

And the arrow points at each other.

No one besides them finds this hilarious.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Dream: why would you do that?  
Error: ... it's true aint it?  
Dream: thats not a good thing!  
Error: never said it was.  
Ink: ... i enjoy it. it is.... nice to be included  
Error: Yeah dream we are being friendly isn't that what you like or something?  
Dream: ... you like warping my morals don't you.

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Error: Then you shouldn't have picked ones that are so easy to warp.

Ink and Error just keep each other company like this, Ink just feeling warmer and warmer the more he is with Error. Finally, he makes a sketch that features both him and Error...content, and at peace. Together.

Ink is a soulless being, and being soulless means there are a lot of things he can't do. Dreaming is one of them.

He dreams, sometimes, he dreams and sees him and Error being soulmates together. Sometimes, he dreams that he and Error stand before the eyes of several creators and...and Error dies before him, to be replaced with another.

Ink finds himself feeling tired more and more, feeling unfamiliar fear creep up his spine every time he closes his eyes.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
error...notices something is ...bothering Ink...  
He tries to give ink his space, but eventually asks him whats wrong. he also dislikes the idea of ink being the last to die....

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Ink: .....

Ink: I've been... I've had.... dreams.

Ink: It's impossible. I know. It's impossible for me to have dreams. I'm not meant to have dreams.

Ink: I.

Ink: Sometimes they're....nice.

Ink: But other times.

Ink: Other times you're... you're gone. You're not there.

next chapter is up

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Error: *finds the apple twins, demands answers*  
apple twins: *confused*

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
njanajjnalnakna

good luck with that error

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Error: NIGHTMARE STOP SENDING DREAMS ABOUT ME DYING BEFORE HIM TO INK!  
NM: ?????????????????????????????

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Neither Dream nor NM have any idea what's going on, but then they both go and look into what's going on with Ink and like,

NM: ....Hey have you guys checked your soulmarks recently?

Ink: ???? I don't- *looks* .............................

Error: What does that have anything to do with-WHAT THE FUCK

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Error's scratches and glitches look to be dripping? melting? into the name ink

Ink's gouge has a faint name in it, Error.

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Ink just has to go and puke off the side of the cliff because HOLY SHIT HE'S EXCITED HE'S NOT SURE IF HE'S HAPPY HE'S DEFINITELY CONCERNED HE'S DEF HAPPY-

Error just straight up went into a crash.

NM and Dream just... leave. this is a private moment for the two of them.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Ink pukes out all but a bit of his colors and Error's crash needed some input from ink to get back to normal. that crash report ALSO crashed. took a few hours.

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
they're just stuck in that au for a good few hours before Error finally manages to get somewhat functional, and then grab Ink, and get them both into the Doodlesphere where Ink could get his paints quickly.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
error: as much as i appreciate you staying with me through my crash... I really want you tk take care of yourself. .......as much as i like to hold you off paints.... i prefer you to be coherent.  
Ink: * sips yellow* ........*pukes again* ..... sips a tiny bit a yellow* ....omg I-i think I'm good now. Omg ERROR OMG.

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Ink: I'M

Ink: FEELING THINGS AND WE'RE SOULMATES!!!!!

Error: Okay yeah-

Ink: AND I'M FEELING STUFF THAT ISN'T YELLOW, EVEN THOUGH I HAVEN'T TAKEN ANY OTHER PAINT

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
error: *grabs ink and holds him close because that's pretty close to breakdown of sorts, feeling overload* shhhh. Inky its okay calm, calm. Focus on me, don't over think. Look see? I'm-  
Ink: *pukes again because he really shouldn't be taking that much paint anymore*

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
At some point Ink has to stop drinking any paint at all, and Error has to worry about Ink adjusting to possible new found mortality.

On one hand, at least Ink is definitely not going to be left alone now. On the other, oh no Ink can possibly die from Ink poisoning now.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
oh no the IRONY. Error is terrified Ink is going to really hurt himself. like NO INK YOU CAN'T DO THAT YOU COULD DIE HOLY SHIT.  
This leads Error on a anxiety riddled trip while he basically has to be Ink's seatbelt to life.

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Ink is careful during his adjustment period, doesn't stop himself from going out like Error wants him to, but he also specifically doesn't go into dangerous or action filled AUs because of his new condition.

Some of the Creators are grinning ear to ear at each other and towards the Creators that are glowering and wanted to continue the all around suffering.

There are a lot of Creators that are just, absolutely rooting for the all around tragedies to finally come to a close. Eternal suffering is not in this group of Creators interest. Not at all. That gets boring, and.... uncomfortable.

There is an ending to everything. Even pain. Even hurt. Even an awful situation. It's not just the good things that come to an end.

However, a lot of the other Creators don't want to see that for what it is.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Error: Hey ink you wanna-INK WHAT ARE YOU DOING??????????  
ink: *dangling off the roof upside down painting* Hi ERROR!!!! I missed you!  
Error: *makes string safety net and a loose safety string around his ribs* oh god ink you all most gave me a soul attack

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Ink: Sorry Ruru- I still forget sometimes~

Error: That's no excuse!!!

Ink: Fine fine I'm finished with this AU anyway- Hey, quick and abrupt question, do you think some Creators have been quite lately?

The thing is, the Creators haven't been quite at all. The thing is, that group of Creators i was talking about gained enough power to have Ink and Error in their domain instead of the others. In other words, Creators that are all about endless amount of angst with no happy endings are at the moment unable to reach to them.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
.....the error and ink protect squad.  
Error: oh so the fan girl ones took over.... heh knew you guys were crazy.  
Ink: awwwwwww they really care about me!!!! *pukes*  
Error: ..... ink i liked that carpet.

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Eventually Ink stops puking ink. It happens eventually.

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
....but not when he sees error so content and dare say happy with ink on their cliff. ALL DA PUKE he cannot handle all the happiness.

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
Error knows this of course.

At some point its common to hear Error go “Ink calm down you know excitement isn’t good for you.” Because along with that Ink is a bit of his own magic and marrow(blood).

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
Ink: B-BUT I LOVE YOU SO DAMN MUCH!!!!!  
Error: ink i know calm down-  
Ink: WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE YOUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!! *SOBS* EMOTIONS SUCK SOMETIMES AND IT HURTS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU  
Error: ink thats the marrow you just puked hurting not the love.

***  
writingforFUNandbecauseBoredom  
one day he will calm down. one day. *looks off into the distance*

***  
BookwyrmFinallyGotAnAccount  
the rest of the outcodes just watch error become this caring concerned boyfriend over ink. while ink is a walking disaster

**Author's Note:**

> https://youtu.be/Ab2JrfN1aZM?list=RDAb2JrfN1aZM
> 
> ok i had to put this video here. love it and i can just imagine it in this au


End file.
